Dell Debuts OptiPlex Desktop Pair

The OptiPlex GX520, which starts at $549, is based on Intel's 945G chipset, and is powered by Pentium 4 or Celeron CPUs as fast as 3.4GHz. Although Microsoft's Longhorn is more than a year from release, the GX520 will be able to run that operating system, said Dell. Dell's other new OptiPlex, dubbed the GX620, is priced at $579 and up. It shares the GX520's features, but will be able to be configured with Intel's dual-core Pentium D processor and Windows XP Professional x64 in the near future.

The systems can be ordered in seven different chassis designs -- ranging from mini-tower to ultra-small -- and feature lead-free power supplies and motherboards, a requirement that will go into effect in the EU in July, 2006. The ultra-small chassis can be installed behind a flat-panel display for what Dell calls a "zero footprint" on the desktop. Dell's OptiPlex GX520 and GX620 can be configured and ordered at the Round Rock, Texas-based manufacturer's Web <site.